Project 365

Been waiting to post this one

2010-06-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Maren and I are expecting a little drooler soon. Due date is Dec 14th.

panned

2010-05-17T13:37:00.001-07:00

panned
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is a panoramic from on top of th St. Paul Highbride. I really should have gone back to get this at night. Regardless, I am happy with the outcome.

St Paul Skyline

2010-05-17T13:35:00.003-07:00

St Paul Skyline
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

What trip to St. Paul would be complete without a picture of the lovely skyline.

Capitol Lights

2010-05-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

Capitol Lights
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is a nother wonderful picture of the Capitol. Very very pleased at how this turned out.

Cathedral Nights

2010-05-17T13:34:00.001-07:00

Cathedral Nights
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is the Cathedral in St Paul. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to shoot. I think this is my favorite picture of the whole experience of renting the L Lens.

St Paul Nights

2010-05-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

St Paul Nights
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is a picture of St. Paul from in from of the Cathedral.

Split Rock Lighthouse

2010-05-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

Split Rock Lighthouse
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is the picture that started it all. This picture is the reason I rented the lens in the first place. I couldn't be happier about how it turned out!

Fishing in the Falls

2010-05-17T13:31:00.001-07:00

Fishing in the Falls
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is one of my favorites. I really like the guy fishing in it. I think he adds a bunch of life to the picture.

Bluffs of Two Harbors

2010-05-17T13:30:00.001-07:00

Bluffs of Two Harbors
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

These are the cliffs of Split Rock Light House in Two Harbors, MN

Bunny

2010-05-17T13:29:00.003-07:00

Bunny
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

It's a bunny. What's not to love.

Equals

2010-05-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

Equals
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I like this, but I thought it would look a lot cooler in Black and White than it does.

Floor Tile

2010-05-17T13:28:00.001-07:00

Floor Tile
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Just a bit of abstract art. This is the ground of one of the sculptures at the art center.

Cherry Spoon

2010-05-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

Cherry Spoon
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is a picture of... well, I am not sure what it is ACTUALLY called, so I call it Cherry Spoon. I ran it through Photoshop to make the cherry stand out as it does.

Prespective

2010-05-17T13:26:00.001-07:00

Prespective
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I am so excited about the pictures I took this pas weekend, I hardly know where to start. I rented a cannon L Lens which is their top of the line almost too good for professionals camera lens family. I think the quality is obvious in the picture. I hope you feel the same.

This is a sculpture at the Walker Art center in Minneapolis.

Neighbors

2010-05-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

Neighbors
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

i found these guys walking through my backyard this morning.

Back to the wild

2010-05-01T13:17:00.003-07:00

IMG_8815
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Today i went to a Raptor Release. 4 rehabbed Raptors were released back into the wild.

FREEEEEDDDOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!

2010-05-01T13:17:00.001-07:00

IMG_8819
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Today i went to a Raptor Release. 4 rehabbed Raptors were released back into the wild.

Mid flight

2010-05-01T13:16:00.001-07:00

IMG_8826
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Today i went to a Raptor Release. 4 rehabbed Raptors were released back into the wild.

Not a good day for mice...

2010-05-01T13:15:00.001-07:00

Not a good day for mice...
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Today i went to a Raptor Release. 4 rehabbed Raptors were released back into the wild.

IMG_8831

2010-05-01T13:14:00.001-07:00

IMG_8831
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

These are the flowering bushes and trees in our yard as as well as Brian's favorite. The "Suicide Maple"

Daffodil

2010-04-19T18:53:00.001-07:00

Daffodil
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is the last Daffodil we have in the yard. There are many more good things coming.

Plum Tree Close Up

2010-04-19T18:52:00.001-07:00

Plum Tree Close Up
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Here is the closeup of the Plum Tree flowers. It is one of my favorite features in the yard.

Plum Tree

2010-04-19T18:50:00.001-07:00

Plum Tree
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is my Plum Tree in the front yard. He is kinda a pain to mow under but a beautiful tree regardless.

Pink Bleeding Hearts

2010-04-19T18:49:00.001-07:00

Pink Bleeding Hearts
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Some Pink Bleeding Hearts... How fun.

White Bleeding Hearts

2010-04-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

White Bleeding Hearts
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

These are some Whit Bleeding Heart flowers... and my lawn ornament birds.

Growing in the grass

2010-04-19T18:47:00.001-07:00

Growing in the grass
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I found this guy growing in my grass today. Too bad I am going to whack him down with my mower this weekend.

Need water?

2010-04-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

Need water?
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I think land objects sticking up out of water tell the story nicely...

Benches

2010-04-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

Benches
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

You see, the flood is not that deep... just deep enough to cause trouble.

And make everything smell like river water.

Flooded lift bridge

2010-04-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

Flooded lift bridge
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Here is the Stillwater lift bridge flooded out. Well, close anyways. They did close the road.

Flood waters run deep

2010-04-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

Flood waters run deep.
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I went down to the riverfron in Stillwater when the flood was at its crest. It was kind of neat to see everything buried in water and all the riverbanks sandbagged. Fortunately the damage wasn't very severe as teh riverfront is accustomed to the deeper waters.

The Intimidator

2010-04-05T10:38:00.001-07:00

The Intimidator
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Dale Earnhardt Sr. April 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001

Today was the last day that Dale Sr's car was going to be displayed in front of NASCAR at the Mall of America. I had to get a picture because he was one of the greatest of all time. He died in a crash on the last turn of the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

The competition

2010-04-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

The competition
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

These are the pies I had to compete against. I came in dead last... Epic filling fail...

GET IN THE KITCHEN AND MAKE ME SOME PIE!!

2010-04-05T10:05:00.001-07:00

GET IN THE KITCHEN AND MAKE ME SOME PIE!!
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is the Strawberry Pie I made for a family pie bake off. This is the strawberry pie that took dead last place. Epic filling fail. But it looks good.

Invalid

2010-04-05T10:03:00.001-07:00

P3060009
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Rachel is in a pro gun t-shirt. Your argument is invalid.

GREAT JOB!

Great Job!

2010-04-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

Great Job!
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

We spent a weekend down with Jeff in Iowa where he introduced us to Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job! Each show ends with a still shot and the caption Great Job. Much as is in this picture, the reference rarely makes sense...

Project 365 update

2010-04-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I have fallen way off the wagon in my updates based mostly on the fact that I do not like posting just anything on my picture blogs. I think my posts should be something I am proud of instead of just shlock to fill spaces. Thus I have deviated from my original plan of one picture per day and opted to post work I am proud of and is meaningful to me. There will still be many updates, just not one every day. However, we are coming into spring finally and thsi is the beautiful picture taking season now. I am hopeful for the many wonderful things I will be able to capture as the year goes on.

-Ken

Project 365 53

2010-02-23T04:12:00.001-08:00

Project 365 53
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Today I scored DJ Hero for my PS3 for a steal at $40.00. Retails new for $100.00 and used for $60.00. Gotta say I am pretty happy about this. Thank you Craigs list!

Project 365 49

2010-02-21T19:49:00.001-08:00

Project 365 49
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Here we have a during picture. The old wall on the left and the new blue on the right.

Project 365 52

2010-02-21T07:34:00.001-08:00

Project 365 52
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

So my camera is officially 1 year old. I love it. Naturally I am ready for an upgrade but that doesn't seem to be anywhere on the horizon currently. However I have been trying to capture this for the past year. My kitty Nalla was playing with her mouse this morning which is one of the very cutest things she does.

Project 365 51

2010-02-21T07:32:00.001-08:00

Project 365 51
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

So we went to a party at Lee and Dee's today. They asked us to bring desert. I made pies. I carved my initials in the top just so people would know they were home made. Although they are upside down here...

Project 365 48

2010-02-21T07:19:00.001-08:00

Project 365 48
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Maren has started cutting in the walls and she did a great job and worked really hard at it.

Project 365 45

2010-02-21T07:16:00.001-08:00

Project 365 45
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Maren made Cornish Hens for Valentines day. Yum-O But not a lot of meat on those guys. It was a wonderful dinner though. One of my better Valentines Days ever.

project 365 44

2010-02-13T06:26:00.001-08:00

project 365 44
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

So I woke up this morning to frost covering all the trees in my yard. This was all sorts of beautiful, and I had to take a picture of it. Truly a winter wonderland.

project 365 43

2010-02-13T06:24:00.001-08:00

project 365 43
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

I went Tubing with Maren, Kristie and BJ tonight. It was super awesome. Personally I think the best part was at TGIFridas for dinner when I photo jacked 6 different birthday pictures.

Project 365 37

2010-02-10T04:22:00.001-08:00

Project 365 37
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Happy baptism Everett!!

Project 365 36

2010-02-10T04:20:00.001-08:00

Project 365 36
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Laser light show plus ice equals win.

Project 365 32

2010-02-01T11:21:00.001-08:00

Project 365 32
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This IS exciting. I actually took this picture a couple of weeks ago but have had to wait to share it with you due to corporate policy. However today Thomson Reuters has publicly announced the existence of Westlaw Next and has put the legal world and our competitors on notice.

This is an upgrade to our already top of the line Westlaw service. This takes a good thing and makes it great. Nobody out there has anything even close to what this service can do for the legal research world and I feel very fortunate to be a part of our company during the release of this revolutionary and exciting new product.

Project 365 23

2010-01-25T10:36:00.001-08:00

Project 365 23
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

For Ellas birthday she hosted her own beauty salon. Results varied but fun was had and no permanent damage was done. Ella got through her mom Emily, Grandma Dee and Juju as well as Rachel. I was next on the chopping block... I mean in line when she got tired of doing hair. Very funny indeed!

Project 365 22

2010-01-22T22:00:00.001-08:00

Project 365 22
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

After work today I went to the Rotunda at the Mall of America to take in the Vikings Pep Rally and help show my horns. This Sunday the Vikes are playing the New Orleans Saints. If we win, we are in the Super Bowl!!! How exciting!

Project 365 20

2010-01-20T18:53:00.001-08:00

Project 365 20
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

So I slipped and fell down the stairs on the Shuttle bus at work today. I fell down the stairs at home a couple of months ago and broke my tail bone. Ella jumped down my stairs and bruised hers. I have fallen down my stairs two more time with no injury fortunately.

Thus I am declaring war on stairs. With my mutant powers I shall lead us in battle to bring Escalators and elevators to power.

Project 365 18

2010-01-18T18:03:00.001-08:00

Project 365 18
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Our main living area is a beigeish god color called Lingere. The red in the kitchen is called callente (sp?) Spanish for Hot is what I am trying to spell there. It all makes for a very hot house. ;)

Project 365 17

2010-01-18T18:01:00.001-08:00

Project 365 17
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

The kitchen is red! Plus I am cooking Buttered Chicken Curry. YUM!!

A very successful painting weekend. Thank you Mom, Jane, Bernie, Brian and of course my lovely wife Maren! You all did an amazing job!!

Project 365 15

2010-01-18T08:51:00.001-08:00

The Sansgaard Family Farm
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This is a picture taht I entered into the Dakota County Fair this past summer and took 2nd place with. Quite an honor considering this is the first contest I have ever tried entering.

project 365 16

2010-01-18T08:48:00.001-08:00

Lonely Flower
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

This picture was recently selected to be displayed at my work. Kind of exciting to be chosen among so many wonderful pictures that were entered.

project 365 14

2010-01-18T08:42:00.001-08:00

Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

So I have been a little off on my pictures lately and I apologize. Between a funeral for my great uncle Bernie and painting the house I have had very little time for pictures. So in lieu of that I am sharing some past favorites with you.

Project 365 12

2010-01-12T20:27:00.001-08:00

Project 365 12
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Unsuccessfully coping with the natural beauty of taping. Painting this weekend means lots of taping.

Pjoject 365 11

2010-01-12T06:06:00.001-08:00

Pjoject 365 11
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Brrrr Looks cold out, but this might be one of my last chances for the year to catch this. It is supposed to be in the 30s all week! YAY

Project 365 8

2010-01-08T22:00:00.001-08:00

Project 365 8
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Emily, Josh and the girls came over tonight. Emily has helped us draft a plan to redecorate our house! FUN!

Project 365 7

2010-01-07T20:13:00.001-08:00

Project 365 7
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Mmmmm 1st Thursday Dinner. Bernie made Sunfish.

Project 365 6

2010-01-06T19:31:00.001-08:00

Project 365 6
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Meow??

Project 365 4

2010-01-04T06:32:00.001-08:00

Project 365 4
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Windchill is not supposed to be above 0 degrees today. Brrrr....

project 365 1

2010-01-01T17:29:00.001-08:00

project 365 1
Originally uploaded by KLZaffke Photography

Happy New Year. A quiet and nice new years celebration.

Project 365

2009-12-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

So most of you know about my hobby of photography and it has been almost 1 year since I got my nice new SLR camera (which I just LOVE!). So I am looking to do something big with it and what I have chosen to do is "Project 365".

What I am committing to is one picture a day every day posted to my blog chronicling my life from January 01 2010 through December 31 2010. Some pictures will be cool and some will be mundane but put them all together and you will have "A Year in the Life of..."

Not all pictures will be of me per say but certainly a lot will. A lot will also be of my family friends and current events.

All the best in 2010.

Later Dayz,
Ken

An apple a day...

2009-10-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

HA! I beat Rachel to this one!
In spite of the snow,

We took our annual trip to the Apple Orchard on Saturday the 10th to collect supplies to make a wide variety of delicious goods. Of course this couldn't be done without practicing some of our more favorite Wedding picture poses.

There were also many fun activities to be had. There was a corn maze and a pumpkin patch.

Flickr

2009-08-31T08:50:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

The big 3 uh 0

2009-08-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Warmest Birthday Wishes to me. I think I got in the neighborhood of 40 birthday Wishes on Facebook. I did something a bit different this year and thanked every single one of them indavidually. :) That felt good to be able to do I must say.

It was a wonderful birthday. I had dinner with Marens Family and my parents as Osaka which is the best reasturaunt in the world!! Then we retired back to Marens and my home where we served cake that Maren made for me! :)

Maren got me a new lens for my camera called a fixed 50/1.8. It is a lens for portrait pictures. here are a couple of pictures I took with it.

Needless to say I am pretty thrilled with the way this worked out!

Next step onwards and upwards to my wedding in... EEEK!!! 9 DAYS!!!!

Later Dayz,

Ken

Dakota County Fair

2009-07-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

These are going to be my entries into the Dakota County Fair this year... Wish me luck

not... enough... time....

2009-07-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Good lord I am so far behind the ball in updating this blog...

real quick... I am down 50+ lbs now...

There is lots of stuff happening really fast...

I am planning a wedding still.

I got my passport Jamaica is on.

Maren and I bought a house.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenzaffke/ check the link for all my latest pictures from everything I have been up to.

Later Dayz,
Ken

Weight Watchers and pictures

2009-05-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Well, first off a Weight Watchers update. I am now down 45 lbs! Funny thing is I can't even remember what life was like 45 lbs ago... Unfortunately there are no shortages of pictures to remind me...

Also I have started a photo blog online at Flikr. I wanted some where I could showcase my favorite pictures without having to sacrifice resolution and clarity. So feel free to look and enjoy my favorites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenzaffke/

Later dayz,
Ken

2009-04-27T13:42:00.001-07:00

I have unlocked blogging from my cell phone! I rule!

Life comes fast...

2009-04-21T15:45:00.001-07:00

Well, what a smashing week at Weight Watchers. I went up 2 last week and down 6 this week bringing me to a whopping 41 lbs lost!!!! I don't even know where to begin. I think this week I must thank... myself for having the integrity drive and motivation to stick with this. While it has not always been easy the results are always worth it.

Those whom know me know what music means to me. In spite of popular opinion not everyone may know that my favorite music is actually classical and opera. With that said I wanted to share one of my very favorite operas with you today. It ties back to many many treasured memories that I hold near and dear to my heart. I hope you will enjoy it. It is called Maria and Draco http://songza.com/z/xk56rq

Now for some not so great news... 2 weeks ago my friend and brother Jesse's Mom Karen passed away after a long fight with cancer. She went peacefully surrounded by family. If I may say it was arguably one of the most beautiful services I have ever been to. A beautiful service for a beautiful woman.

The reason I bring this up is I just wanted to share my favorite Karen memory. About 4 years ago (maybe longer) I was hanging out at Jesse's brother Dan's place, Jesse and I had decided to go for a dip in Dans pool... in our clothes. We knew full well what we were doing and I was 26 or 27 at the time. We had a great time swimming and being silly for an hour when we got out. Shortly afterwards I had to run to my car for a minute as Karen pulled up in her nice Lincoln Continental. The first thing she says to me is "Kenny, look at you you're all wet. Do you need me to take you home so you can get some warm dry clothes?" I of course thanked her and declined the offer. after all I am 26 - 27 and 10 feet away from my own car. I was in Burnsville and I lived in Eagan at the time. Therein lies the beauty of the story. This shows what an incredible woman she was. I am a full adult as is Jesse and she was still offering to drive me home for clothes like I was 12 or 13. It was then that I became very present to what an exceptional woman she was, and I also realised I had really made it as a friend of Jesse's. That meant the world to me. It means even more now that Jesse is going to be my Best Man. I must say, I am humbly honored.

Thanks for the memories Karen.

Later Dayz,

Ken

New Shiny VROOOM and WW week... I lost count

2009-03-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

First the boring part, I am down a total of 36 at the ol' WW.

Now the fun part... Wasn't a real great weekend for Weight Watchers in Iowa visiting Jeff. On the other hand it was a great weekend in Iowa visiting Jeff!! A really great weekend!! I would do that again in a heartbeat. truthfully I would love to this summer go down just the guys Jeff, Brian and I and hang out enjoying the town... However without Lovely Maren and Rachel driving the show I doubt we would ever make it out of the house....

Aaaaannnd!!! Who has two thumbs and just got a new car?!? THIS GUY (as Ken points at himself with his two thumbs)

What an ordeal!! So Thursday Maren and I test drove some cars and agreed on the Chevy HHR. On Friday we decided to go for it and I called the dealer and set the whole thing up. So after Maren got off of work on Friday she rushed over to my place so we could rush to the dealer get the car sign the papers and get moving to Iowa. We hit a snag... When we got there the Finance guy says to us I have some good news and some bad news.... NEVER a good thing to hear at a car dealership... Good news I got you a great rate on your loan (and he did) bad news it is from a credit union in NE Minneapolis. You have to be a member to get a loan from them. So you have to run over there and open an account....

>:( ok... for those of you who live out of the area, let me set this up for you. We are in Invergrove heights which is in the south east portion of the metro area. NE Mlps is like driving diagonally across the cities... it is 5:00pm and the Credit Union closes at 6:00... So Maren and I jump back into my car and rush over as quickly (and safely) as we possibly can. We get there with 15 minutes to spare.

Unfortunately the dealership closes at 6:00 as well. Our dealer and his finance guy have agreed to stay late to help us complete this transaction... So Maren and I brimming with an odd mix of disgust at this process and excitement of our (MY!!) new car hurry back to the dealership. When we are about 5 minutes away My car guy calls me and I (before he can really say anything) eagerly tell him that we are 5 minutes out from the dealership. To which he replies with "Yeeeaaa.... there is a problem... Ummm... There is a safety recall on your car. Legally I cannot let you drive it out of here, and the computer has it locked down so you couldn't drive it if we could even let you....."

"So what does this mean for me?"

"Well, I have a rental we can send you out with here. Come on in and we can talk about it."

Well, to make a short story long I still went with the car anyways because Maren and I got an insane deal on the car. by shopping at the end of the month, they were in a hurry to move product so they way undercut the prices of a few of their HHRs on the lot. My car started at about 21,000 and they had slashed right off the top 3,500. then there was a 2500 same as cash and finally I was trading in a lease so there is another 1000. which puts me in at about 14000....

I hate to say it, but that is a price I simply cannot argue with. It is an outstanding deal! The unfortunate part about this is I have to play ball a bit, and had to take the rental car.. a Hyundai Sonata -_- Not the greatest car I have ever driven... But the lighter side is when something goes this bad there are sometimes comps that come with it. i got the rental for free as it is part of my warranty to get a free rental. They are covering all my gas from the weekend in the rental! Also there was some wear and tear on my drivers seat in my car and they are covering the repair of that as well, which could have been as bad as 1000 if they had to replace the whole seat (which i doubt) but even still they also covered my last lease payment.

However I was not quite so positive about this on Friday when this all went down. Maren and I began our very bitter drive to Iowa. The quote of the day comes from Brian when he called me to see where we were at, and after speaking to me and hanging up the phone said to the family "I don't know what's going on but something is wrong with Ken" tee hee. In the advent of trading my car in I took all my CDs out of my Saturn as my new car has satellite radio as well as an IPOD jack in it!! So I had my IPOD loaded with great tunes as well as was ready to explore the hundreds of XM stations (Raw Dog here I come!) Unfortunately i am not in the car I had expected to be in and it didn't occur to me until I lost radio signal from 93X that I have nothing to listen to. I tuned to the XM in my car which was not activated and only had the commercials on... Basically I had crystal clear commercials for all the stations I could have been listening to... So I instead changed to my new phone (Which took the pictures below) and I have loaded on several songs as ring tones. However these are not great songs for casual listening they are more novelty tunes that make fun ring tones ie the Mario Brothers Tune. Maren was asleep and I am driving in silence which for me is a fate worse than death!

We did make it to Iowa at about 9:00 after all of this, I had some pizza and some laughs with the Family. We did Karaoke on Sat night and rocked the bar! Sunday we began the long trip home. Finally today my care was delivered to me at work as promised... I feel much better about everything now and look forward to getting to know her...

Suggest names for Kens car at kenzaffke@gmail.com
Later Dayz, Ken

WW Week 8

2009-03-06T10:55:00.001-08:00

And another 2.2 gone!!! Total of 30 even!! :) Time to get some smaller pants I think. This is gonna be fun....

Rachels wish is my command....

2009-03-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

When I had initially requested Blog ideas, it was because I have always had a really hard time organizing my thoughts into a focused idea. ie what you get is my Weight Watchers blogs where it is simple numbers and slightly less simple -and entirely heartfelt- thank yous. I like having and idea and perspective to work towards.

With that said, my dear (soon to be) sister requested to hear what is on my mind...

12/21/2012

There are those who would say that this is when the world will end. Pure and simple.

On the other hand... There are those who say that humanity as a whole will take "The next leap" that we will grow beyond technology as it is now, that we will grow beyond such trivial things as time and money.

A part of me wants to be scared. The truth is however, whatever is going to happen will happen. My job is to simply have control of how I will react to my circumstances. From a point of view scenario number two above is an ending of the world... The world as we know it. if Scenario number two comes true everything will be different. I couldn't even imagine what that might be like. The source (which you can find below) says that there will be a pulse that will "Upgrade" us all at once... Now this is prophecy that was written over 5000 years ago. who knows what it could all actually mean...

Here is what confuses me... How is it that 4000 years before we discovered the world wasn't flat did Mayans manage to figure out a celestial ca lander accurate to within a day 5125 years later? How is it that a primitive culture managed to figure out to build pyramids with impossibly heavy stones. True enough there could have been slave labor that did it, and I am no doubt sure there was... but I believe there was something bigger at hand... I suspect extraterrestrial intervention...

The pyramids of Giza in Egypt line up with the belt of the constellation Orion. They believed this to be home to their god Osiris. How is it that such ancient cultures were able to do these things? It would seem that perhaps there was another event such as what is "anticipated" to come in 2012. All of a sudden we are able to build and create impossible structures and we master space and time in an impossibly short amount of time. Perhaps there was a direct intervention -a hands on approach if you will- of extra terrestrials interfering and guiding us. Perhaps these are the "gods" that the ancient cultures worshiped. There are many who think this. On the 0ther hand, how could they grasp the solar system and time itself if they couldn't even get that the sun streaking through the sky was not a god? Seems fishy to me. On the other hand, just as is suspected to be coming in 2012 it may have been a pulse that unlocked something in their head.

For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unlocked the power of our imagination and we began to talk. -Pink Floyd

Personally I do believe in alien beings. I have seen too many things that just don't make sense to ignore this as what could only be described as at least a possibility. Unfortunately there may be no real way of knowing until 2012. Until then I shall be waiting with baited breath.

I suggest you take a look at the article, it is interesting at the very least. Just a quick note also, there is a lot of this which parallels revelations in the bible too... such as the evolution will only happen to those who have made an effort to enlighten themselves and move beyond such petty things as hate and wars... Rapture anyone?

On a much lighter note...
The math-buffs' holiday, which only occurs nine times each century, falls on Tuesday — 3/3/09 (for the mathematically challenged, three is the square root of nine).

http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.htm

Later Dayz,
Ken

Thanks for the comment Rachel and keep the requests coming you never know what you'll get outta me!! email me kenzaffke@yahoo.com or leave a comment

Weight Watchers week 7

2009-02-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

Wow, 7 weeks already. The verdict is in. 4.8 lbs lost this week. That puts me at a total of 27.8 lbs. That puts me past 25% of my goal weight loss by September 5th... Outstanding 1/4th of the way.

I really must acknowledge the efforts of two people this week. Grandma Sansgaard and Rachel Thiele.

First Grandma for being so sensitive to the Weight Watchers plan and stocking her home with WW friendly foods for the weekend. Thank you Grandma, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. You were a big part of my success this week and I appreciate all the positive support.

Rachel, I appreciate you being the WW book keeper of the weekend. As Maren and I were helping and preparing for ourselves pizzas, Rachel was right there with pen and paper making sure we got to enjoy as much pizza as we could by helping out and being on top of our points tracking... which when you are making pizzas they can run away fro m you in a BIG hurry. I appreciate your support and commitment to my success!! I can't wait till you're my sister!

Finally, I am curious. I have all these ideas in my head about what to write about on here, but I have no real direction to work in. I am curious, what do people want to read about? Weight Watchers? The Wedding? Philosophy? Video Games? Current Events? Something else? Leave a comment or shoot me an email at kenzaffke@yahoo.com let me know what you want to hear about.

Weight Watchers week 6

2009-02-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Weight Watchers week 6. I lost .6lbs for a solid total of 23lbs even. Although it is not as large of a loss as I have been having, I am pleased as it is still a loss and you simply are not going to loose 3 - 5 lbs every week... Unless you have bypass surgery, which is why I am doing WW so I don't have to!

I have to thank my dear friend Jesse for going through this and hitting the meetings with me. Jess, I can't thank you enough for helping me get back into this and back into a better life and future for myself. You absolutely inspire me with your commitment and hard work.

Weight Watchers Week 5

2009-02-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

I can't beleive it, down anothe 3 lbs for a total of 22.4.

I think it is at this point I do have to thank everyone for all the positive support and the good vibes they are sending my way!

But I have to send an extra special thank you to Maren who is absolutely instrumental in helping me with this by making delicious weight watchers meals to help keep me on plan! I love you honey and thank you!!!

Weight Watchers Week 4 I have lost 5%

2009-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well, this week I weighed in and lost another 3.4 lbs, which brings me to a grand total of 19.4 lbas lost in 4 weeks. With my goal of 100 lbs and the rate I am loosing it should only take another 4 - 5 months at this rate. The wedding is now officially 8 months away and the clock continues to wind down... As it is, with my grand total of 19.4 lost that is 5% of my total weight I have lost... YAAY!!!

The wedding plans are coming along nicely which Iam really excited about. There are some small things that we are still working out... But no sense in getting everyone all worked up over those...

I've gotta tell ya, things are good and they are only getting better....

Later Dayz,
Kenny

Weight Watchers week 3 FTW

2009-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I just got back from week 3... Annnnnnd I lost 7.6 lbs for a grand total of 16.0 lbs!!! W00T! This is off to a great start. I know every week will not be as good as this, but for the time being I shall savor my victory while I can. The lighter side of this is my goal of 100 lbs by September 5th continues to be within my reach....

Here's hoping...

Later Dayz,
Ken

Weight Watchers week 2

2009-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

Alright, week two. I had to weigh in early this week as I am working this thursday which is my usual day.

And the verdict is..... In 4 days I lost another 3.2 lbs, totalling 11.6. Can you say awesome?

Customer Service Fail and I joined Weight Watchers!!

2009-01-16T15:01:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am mad as hell right now >:(

This past summer I took a trip out to Marens family's place in MI where I wrecked my right knee a bit. I wound up going to the emergency room for it and they said I pretty much jut hurt it and the pain would go away. Well, time has come and gone and the pain never went away. It did get a LOT better but it never really went away. Well, something slipped tonight and it really started hurting. Fortunately I was able to push back into place whatever it was that slipped over my kneecap (you may cringe here) and get back to walking normally... but if that isn't a red flag I don't know what is.

So I call my doctors office to make an appointment at about 4:50 knowing they close at 5:00. I am on hold when I call so i don't mind waiting. I wait and wait and wait... finally I get to 4:58pm and the pone comes on and say I will be switched to the on call nurse. I don't care as long as I can make my appointment. So at about 5 she picks up and does the whole "can I help you" thing. I say i would like to make an appointment. She informs me that she can't do that because she is the oncall nurse. I can't fault her for that she did nothing wrong.

Seriously?!? I was kept on hold and then just cut off? What kind of rinky dink phone system are they using there? I know at work, our phones automatically shut off at closing time - 8:00. However if you get through the gate at 7:59:59 and there are three calls holding in front of you, we will take your call and the service will be excellent! We will not cut you off and hang you out to dry like you don't matter. What a bunch of garbage. Epic Fail Fairview! Thanks a lot!

On a much happier note, last Thursday I joined Weight Watchers. My goal is to loose at least 100 lbs by September 5 (my wedding day) I just weighed in yesterday after week one and I am down 8.4 lbs almost one tenth of the way already!! I'll call that a win.

Later Dayz,
Ken

What moves you?

2008-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

So I have things to share with you... About Music! I have discovered three new songs recently that I want to share because I think they are pretty amazing for various reasons! Below you will find lyrics as well as links to the videos on Youtube. I make no promises to how long the videos will be active. The links could be dead in a day or in months...

What I like to do when I hear new music is to try and find a point in my life that the music could apply to and personalize it so I can try and experience what the artis might have been feeling as they wrote that song. I gives the music so much more feeling inside me, and really helps me appreciate and identify with the song.

Better - Guns n Roses - This addition in no way serves as an endorsment of their new album. I personally don't care for it, but it does have a couple good tunes on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4r97GNE3V8

No one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better.
No one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better

The hardest part this troubled heart has never yet been through now,
To heal the scars that got their start inside someone like you now,
But had I known or I'd been shown back when how long It'd take me,
To break the charms that brought me harm... that,
all but would erase me

I never would nor thought I could
No matter what you'd pay me
replay the part
You stole my heart
I should have known you're crazy

If all I knew was that with you
I'd want someone to save me
It'd be enough, but just my luck
I fell in love and baby all that I wanted was

Now I know you better
You know I'd know better,
Now I know you better

So bittersweet, this tragedy wont ask for absolution,
This melody inside of me, still searches for solution,
A twist of fate, the change of heart kills my infatuation,
A broken heart provides the spark for my determination.

No one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better
Ooh, no one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better

All that I wanted was
I know you know you know better
You know I know you know better
Now you know me better

I never wanted you to be so full of anger,
I never wanted you to be somebody else
I never wanted you to be someone afraid to know themselves
I only wanted you to see things for yourself

All that I wanted was
Now I know you better
Now we all know better
All that I wanted was

If I were you, I'd manage to abhore the invitation
Of promised love that can't keep up with your adoration
Just use your head, and in the end you'll find your inspiration
To choose your steps and won't regret this kind of aggravation

No one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better
No one ever told me when I was alone
They just thought I'd know better, better

The Raging Storm - Wasp My Brother Randy introduced me to this just earlier today. A HUGE voice on Blackie Lawless! I hope you enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4sqk3lg5qs

A storm is come
One war of sun and rain - within me
A raging storm
Lost crossroads thundering - in the wind
Dark and son
Who's the only one
To lay claim of me
Altars of store
Righteous temptations
Here at my feet

Give me love
To rage in me can you see?
Only love
Is saving me
Give me love, oh love
That rage in me

It rages on
Of mourn and memories
In the wind
A warring storm
My soul is bargaining - in the end
Is there no sun?
With only love in vain - and it's pain
Hear me oh Lord
Cleanse me evermore with
Your blood of rain

Holy war for my soul
Scars of memories remain
Oh, tell me why am I here
Storms of crossroads and rage

A storm is come

One war of sun and rain - within me

A raging stormLost crossroads thundering - in the windDark and sonWho's the only oneTo lay claim of meAltars of storeRighteous temptationsHere at my feetGive me loveTo rage in me can you see?Only loveIs saving meGive me love, oh loveThat rage in meIt rages onOf mourn and memoriesIn the windA warring stormMy soul is bargaining - in the endIs there no sun?With only love in vain - and it's painHear me oh LordCleanse me evermore withYour blood of rainHoly war for my soulScars of memories remainOh, tell me why am I hereStorms of crossroads and rage

Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner This was introduced to me by my coworker Ryan. I am really grateful for discovering this. Just really solid pop music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB6Wv1wEDw0

Every time

I close my eyes

It's you

And I know now

Who I am

Yea yea yea

And I know now

There's a place I go

When I'm alone

Do anything I want

Be anyone I wanna be

But it is us I see

And I cannot believe I'm fallin

That's where I'm goin

Where are you goin

Hold it close won't let this go

Dream catch me, yea

Dream catch me when I fal

lOr else I won't come back at all

You do so much

That you don't know

It's true

And I know now

Who I am

Yea yea yea

And I know now

There's a place I go

When I'm alone

Do anything I want

Be anyone I wanna be

But it is us I see

And I cannot believe I'm fallin

That's where I'm goin

Where are you goin

Hold it close won't let this go

Dream catch me, yea

Dream catch me when I fall

Or else I won't come back at all

See you as a mountain

A fountain of God

See you as as a descant soul

In the setting sun

You as the sound

Just as silent as none

I'm yours

There's a place I go

When I'm alone

Do anything I want

Be anyone I wanna be

But it is us I see

And I cannot believe I'm fallin

There's a place I go

When I'm alone

Do anything I want

Be anyone I wanna be

But it is us I see

And I cannot believe I'm fallin

That's where I'm goin

Where are you goin

Hold it close won't let this go

Dream catch me, yea

Dream catch me when I fall

Or else I won't come back at all

So, that's kinda what moves me.... What moves you?

Apples to Icebergs and the Wonderful World of Warcraft

2008-12-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings Sports Fans

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and the official start to the 2008 Holiday season is well underway! Parties and friends and family... Who could ask for more?

I went to Iowa with Maren, Rachel, Brian and Jane. This is quickly becoming a favorite tradition of mine as it provides a nice weekend to unplug from the hustle and bustle of life and plug into the hustle and bustle of young children and family. It is always a bit of a system shock to me as I have no young kids in my close family any more. Oliver doesn't count as he is too young to get into any trouble... so far.

When we are down there the whole family crams shoulder to shoulder playing various board games with each other. The main game of choice this time around was Apples to Apples. First let me start with this is a GREAT party game! However I am ashamed to admit that I along with every other adult at the table were brutally Pwned by an 8 year old. Just an fyi the definition for Pwned (pronounced Powned) is Stupid Squared + Witness = Pwned. Pwned = Power owned. Basically there is loosing, Owned and Pwned in that order.

For those who don't know I will briefly explain Apples to Apples. You have one person who draws a green card which is usually an adjective such as explosive. In your hand you have 7 red cards with various Nouns both proper and improper. Your job is to pick the noun that matches the best to the green card laid down and hand that card to the one who pulled the green card. The trick is most cards don't line up all that well so the person who drew the green card is usually left picking the least worst of the cards available to them. That is where the strategy comes in as you have to pick from your red cards the one you think the green card puller will pick form the pile. You would be wise to keep in mind their personality in choosing your card...

Jon, Marens 8 year old cousin was playing Apples to Apples with us. Marens mother Jane had decided to alter the rules on her turn which is fine, everyone was doing it and it added a great dynamic to the game. The rule was she wanted you to play the card that best described Jon. So people played cards like energy, and personality and whatever...

It came down to the last three cards left were My friends, The Superbowl and Icebergs (as someone just didn't have a match) Jane in all the best intentions was seeking feedback from Jon as to which card suited him the best. Jane says "Well, Icebergs has nothing to do with you" and discarded that card.
Jon replied with "No, I love Icebergs!"
So Jane put the card back in and asked "which one do you think we should get rid of?"
Jon then suggested that his friends should go followed quickly buy Superbowl, leaving us with just Icebergs remaining.
So after seeking feed back from Jon and with icebergs remaining Jane asked the table whose card that was so the winner could get their point.
A reply came brimming with excitement from Jon "It's my card"

A moment of dead silence followed by raucous laughter as we all -a table of adults- realized we were Pwned by an 8 year old kid. Bravo Jon!

The whole weekend was absolutely great! good food and good times to be had everywhere!

The second thing i would like to talk about is the World of Warcraft (From here on out called WOW) I have been playing a trial version of the game for a while now and I must say, the game is fun. It is a GIGANTIC amazing world to explore full of hidden gems to enjoy and see. the scenery is beautiful and it is very immersing.

Here is the thing though... It doesn't play all that great. the pace is kinda slow and for a lesser dedicated person or someone with less time on their hands this game would be a real turn off. Here is what really does it for me. My brother Randy plays this fairly often as does my nephews Nathan and Brandon. I cannot possibly explain how cool it is to have family members that I get to play games with. I know it sounds so childish and trivial but video gaming is important to me. i truly enjoy it and it makes me really happy. I like the accomplishments and the stories. Not to mention the time to dollar ratio I get out of a video game is ten to one against DVDs.

I cannot tell you how it feels to be stuck in these larger than life situations with a team of actual people on your side against the computer who represents some great evil. It is often said that people who game have no social life. This is usually said by people who do not game and have never gamed online. What is a social life? I email my brother many times throughout the day and we talk online at night. How is that not social? It is not the only thing I do with my time, i still like to get out to Smokescreen on weekends when I can. I love going to see Maren and even better if I can blend the two. However my weeknights as a result of my work schedule don't offer much in the way shape and form of free time to go out with friends, so I rely on alternative forms of entertainment.

anyways, in spite of the grueling pace of WOW I love playing it with my friends and family. But I still love Maren more ;)

Later Days,
Ken

Go Vikes!!

2008-10-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

Fable 2

Fable 1 aimed to make a game where everything you could imagine you could do within the realms of good and evil. after 10 years in development the game was released. While it was a solid game it could not be ignored that the game failed to really deliver on its promises. Does Fable 2 achieve what Fable 1 could not or is it another forgotten tale lost to the sands of time?

Design

Fable 2 like Fable 1 starts you in the world of Albion 500 years after the first game. If you were familiar with the first game you will undoubtedly notice things have changed. However this is not necessary to appreciate all that is going on in the world. From the outset of the game you are given chances and choices of how you want to approach the world of Albion. Will you be good or will you be evil? The choice is up to you. The game starts in a fairly linear story mode that takes you from childhood up to adulthood. More than anything this will serve as a tutorial mode. This is a valuable experience as the controls have indeed changed slightly since Fable 1. Once the tutorial ends the linear game play is over with. From there it's up to you what you want to do. There is a story to play through but the pace of which you tackle that is up to you. There are numerous side quests and distractions to enjoy in the world of Albion. Perhaps a job chopping wood or blacksmithing to earn money appeals to you? Maybe you like spending time in the pub and playing games. There are also quests that have nothing to do with the main story, although these are integrated so well you may not be able to tell the difference. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is the inclusion of your canine companion. Your dog serves a couple of purposes, first he can aid you in battle attacking downed opponents and secondly he hunts for buried treasure and out of the way treasure chests. Both of these skills can be improved with training manuals purchased from book stores.

Game Play

In the early portion of the game the learning curve can be a little steep. The lack of a healing spell in this game combined with health potions being difficult to come by can make survival a bit of a challenge. The walking controls and targeting leave a little to be desired as well, particularly when working with ranged weapons. However after a little bit with the game you do get used to this quickly. The game does make it a little easier finding your way around by replacing the mini map in the corner with a gold trail you follow. The trail can be a little distracting as it makes it difficult to branch off your trail and explore your environment.

When it comes to battle the enemies do not show any real resistance to one choice of weapon over another which leaves you at your discretion as to how you want to tackle the game. Will you be a close combat weapon specialist? A ranged weapon specialist? Perhaps a Will (magic) user? Any choice will get you through the game; however combining the three will have the best results as there are several skills which aid the other two categories.

Presentation

Fable 2 looks about as beautiful as any game you will find on the XBOX 360. The colors are lush and vibrant as well as drab and dreary where they need to be. The frame rates are great with the exception of going into and coming out of mini games. The people in the game have a tendency to look like marionettes a bit. However you do get accustomed to that all too quickly. The sound in battles is about what you would expect, nothing too spectacular. Where the game really excels for sound is conversations with the towns’ people. The voice acting is done really well and the conversations are rather humorous. Fable 2 will make you smile if not laugh. The mechanic of showing off for the towns’ people to make friends and gain notoriety is back and the music is exactly what you would expect from the genre.

There are many things that are right with Fable and couple things that are not. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot else they could have included in this game that isn't already there. The story is good. The choices between good and evil are fun to make. There are times when you are backed into a corner and you feel like you have to make a choice you really don't want to. Granted both options are open, but there are consequences. Fable 2 is a fantastic game that offers hours of entertainment beyond just playing through the game. I would highly recommend this game.

Design 9.3
Game play 8.8
Presentation 8.6

Overall 9.1

Lessons learned...

2008-09-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

I was in Lutzen for a wedding over the past weekend. The vacation was both an educational and spiritual one for me for a lot of different reasons.

The first thing I learned was that you get an opportunity to reeducate yourself on how to love in a relationship with every wedding that you go to. Plus it never hurts to try and take away something new as well. The wedding I was at this weekend the reeducation I got to enjoy was "Forgiveness". Overall this is something I - and forgive my seeming lack of modesty - feel that I do very well... On little things. On larger thing I am really good at holding onto grudges until they boil over and make a huge mess.

The hard part of it is letting go of what ever caused you to be upset in the first place. That takes a lot of practice to achieve that sort of balance. It really boils down to giving up being right even when you know that you are. Sometimes I am so right about something and the other person thinks they are too, the only payoff from us being so right about everything is that it introduces stress and strain into the relationship. These are not solid foundation blocks to build love and happiness with.

So I challenge you - my readers. The next time your friend or partner or family member or what ever does something that just makes you madder than hell. Let it go. Say to yourself that does not bother me and move on past it. The truth is this what is upsetting you is not the incident itself, it's the story attached to that incident and all the pain and suffering you have tied to it. The moment is just the moment and it has came and went. after that the only thing causing suffering is all the things you make it mean.

Enough of that...

The second thing I learned this weekend was that nothing in this world will make you appreciate your own bed more than sleeping in a hotel/cabin bed..

It never occurred to me how uncomfortable it would be to sleep with my feet hanging off the bed until I had to do it for a couple nights.

Finally I must say how beautiful the wedding was this weekend. Lots of good family and friends to have fun with. It was a lot of fun staying with Marens family and getting into trouble with them. Everyone was dressed to the 9's for the wedding. The ceremony could not have gone better. Bianca did a knock out job on the decorations. The party was great, the food was great. The actually served breakfast for dinner. At first I couldn't believe it. I thought Bianca had gone off her rocker. As dinner approached I was really getting in the mood for it though. One of those deals where you are thinking about a food for a couple of days and you think you will explode if you don't get that food. Now that the meal has come and gone I declare Bianca and Ken Visionaries for their Breakfast for dinner. With the cocktails beforehand and and breakfast after it was a lot like going out for drinks and then heading to Perkins or Denny's late night.

The night ended with a great bonfire on the lake shore. I took a little bit of time and ran off by myself right to the waters edge and looked at stars and watched the tides come in for a bit. Yes, Lake Superior does have tides that come in and go out. That was really cool. I think I need to go to the ocean now...

Later Days,
Ken

Page one, part one, section one A:

2008-09-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

So... It has been advised that I start a blog, I mean everyone else is doing it right? What most people don't know is I have maintained a blog on and off on my Myspace page. That was then and this is now, so here we are at the beginning...

In this blog you can expect to hear me write about lessons, life, music, movies and video games. Generally whatever is on my mind as I am typing.

I'll post more tonight...

Later Days,
Ken